THE BIRDS OF GBEAT YARMOUTH. 101 



shot in ditches and ponds. One of this species swimming 

 with Ducks on a pond at Hopton, Sept. 29th, 1881 (B. of S. 

 p. 145). 



Scolopax rusticula. Woodcock. — C. Uncertain visitor; always 

 some, occasionally numbers, according to wind. The early 

 October moon, with N.W. wind, favourable to its arrival. During 

 the migration of this species many untoward fatalities are 

 generally recorded, as beheading against telegraph-wires, capture 

 in the streets, &c. Very dark example mutilated by Hooded 

 Crows lying at tide-mark on beach, Dec. 27th, 1899. 



Gallinago major. Great Snipe. — R. R. "Not uncommon in 

 the autumn" (Paget). Before the sand hills were so devastated 

 by trafl&c odd birds were sought for in September by local 

 gunners. Seven or eight in neighbourhood in 1880. Usually 

 very fat. Decidedly prefers the sand-hills of the coast to the 

 marsh-lands. Example brought to market, Sept. 20th, 1899. 

 I saw one there September, 1900. Local, " Solitary Snipe." 



G. coelestis. Common Snipe. — A few still nest in the neigh- 

 bourhood. Occasionally during spells of severe frost a break in 

 the weather will, for a few hours, or perhaps for a day or two, 

 find the saline ditches near the Denes and on the marshes fairly 

 alive with them. The first really sharp day's frost is always 

 hailed with delight by those fond of Snipe-shooting. Such a 

 "rush" occurred on Dec. 11th and 12th, 1899, when many scores 

 were brought to Durrant, the game-dealer. A few hours' frost 

 will reduce their plumpness ; it was noticeable those brought up 

 on the 13th were not so fat as those of the 11th. Continued 

 severity drives them southward. In December, 1893, a remark- 

 ably large and russet-coloured female was killed at Caister, 

 answering to Gallinago russata, Gould. 



G. gallinula. Jack- Snipe. — C. The occasional late stay of 

 this bird in its winter resort has led to the opinion that it has 

 occasionally bred here ; but, notwithstanding every effort having 

 been made to substantiate this, nothing has occurred to justify 

 the belief. This species does not seem so impatient of bad 

 weather as the preceding. 



Macrorhamphus griseus. Red-breasted Snipe. — A. This rare 

 British species has been met with on three occasions : the first 

 shot in the autumn of 1836 is recorded by Yarrell; the second 



